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Lately I have really been enjoying exploring whole grains and one of my favorites so far has been farro. Farro has a really nice chewy texture that goes well in salads and I am always looking for new ways to use it. A while ago I came across a recipe for mushroom and thyme farro salad on Kalyn's Kitchen that sounded really good and it also included one of my favorite foods of all time, mushrooms. I bookmarked it immediately to try. Since then I have made it no less than three times and I rarely have time to make repeat dishes. As I go I have been tweaking it by adding things like feta and toasted walnuts. I am constantly trying to add green vegetables to my meals and the last time I made this dish I added some steamed spinach with great results. Although I really like to fry mushrooms I was thinking of roasting them the next time that I make this to concentrate even more mushroom flavour into the dish. Maybe some chickpeas would be nice next time as well... I guess that is one of the great things about salads, that you can change them each time to suit your cravings or just so that you can use what you have on hand at the time.

Directions:
1. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and saute until the mushrooms are just starting to caramelize, about 10-14 minutes.
5. Place the mushrooms, farro, feta and walnuts in a large bowl.
6. Mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
8. Garnish with the thyme.

What a terrific winter salad! I'm quite partial to mushrooms with thyme, at any time of year. I grow lots of thyme in my herb garden, and then grow it, and freeze it, to have in several different forms throughout the winter.

wow Kevin, that looks really good! I am not sure if we can get Farro over here. I have never seen it in my local shop, perhaps in the Burrough Market. I wonder if I could use Ebly. I bought a bazillion boxes of it in a mad moment and now have no idea what to do with it . . .

oneshotbeyond: I have seen farro in large grocery stores in the whole grains section. I have also seen it in specialty import stores that carry whole grains or Italian products. I would also imagine that you would be able to find it at health food stores.

Anonymous: I would think that Israeli couscous would work as well. Israeli couscous has a nice chewy texture like farro though it would not have the flavour. I wonder if you can find whole wheat Israeli couscous?

Hi Kevin!I saw your amazing pictures on tastespotting 9and you also visited my blog twice). I’m becoming your fan.All the food you make looks amazingly delicious.I like to use farro as I have never cooked/ate it before. Roasting the mushrooms sounds like a great idea.I made a new year’s resolution to eat more greens this year. I find that adding blanched greens like chard or kale to other dishes really make them wonderful-er. (Like this one: http://www.familyfriendlyfood.com/2009/01/leftovers-creamy-orecchiette-with.html. Sorry, i usually don’t add my links on other people’s blogs, but this time… to make my point…)

I made this salad last night. It turned out super good! I skipped the saute the onion step becuase I served it with... sauteed onions and chicken liver (some people will porbably say "eek" now) - it was the perfect side dish. Although all the food looked brown that night... it was delicious!

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.